is being a pagan against christians

[Leapers]

I have been brough up as a christian not going to church but the ways and the praying and the belief in God and heaven and hell but lately i have felt so close to nature and i have always been and environment lover anyway looking in to it i think i may be a pagan or want ot become a pagan and would like to know if this will send me to hell and will my christian friends hate me is witchcraft and paganism a sin??
Thanks in anticipation!

[jenstar]

If you're a pagan, then you don't believe in hell anyway, so it doesn't matter what the christian church thinks.

[luna-tic]

I think many Christian churches were built over Pagan worship sites to eradicate any previous knowledge of their existence.
So if you don't follow your friends way then it is considered to be wrong? Whatever you decide is right for you, as long as it not hurting others or yourself in any way then that should be the main factor of any religion.
The God of The Bible didn't always have love pouring from his heart.

[Theland]

The God of the Bible commands us to be good stewards of His creation, so if you feel, "close to nature," there is no conflict with Christianity is there?

[chakka35]

There is no conflict between Christianity and paganism anyway. The Jesus story is merely a re-telling, in a Jewish context, of the pagan god-man story that had been flourishing for centuries in most Mediterranean countries. I have no room here to give all the details but here are a few appetisers:
� The god-man was the son of God who came to earth as a redeemer, was born to a human virgin in lowly circumstances and was visited, at his birth, by shepherds from nearby fields. And so on � 12 disciples, turning water into wine at a wedding and all the other �Jesus� miracles.
� The pagans had a 3-day festival at Easter time to celebrate their god-man�s resurrection from death on the third day.
� Another pagan ritual was The Lord�s Supper where the wine represented the god-man�s blood and the bread his body.
� � He who will not eat of my body and drink of my blood, so that he will be made one with me and I with him, the same shall not know salvation�, attributed to Jesus in the gospel of John (6.56), was an earlier saying of the god-man Mithras.

So don�t worry. All religions are mere fantasy anyway, so it doesn�t matter which one you elect to join as long as you do no harm to anyone.

[Octavius]

Are they friends with you �because� you are a Christian? If so they may have a different view, but generally speaking I agree with jenstar.

[Leapers]

well they are friends with me becasue we met at a childrens club when we were about 5 and have grew up together going to a christian club and now we all help run it so we are not really close friends just we hang around together and spend a lot of time together

[Theland]

Please pray about this. The answer will come.

[naomi24]

Isn't this appalling? An example of the effect the church with its lies and its story-telling has on a young mind. It has a lot to answer for. Shameful.

Leapers, why do you feel you need to label yourself pagan, Christian or anything else? Forget sin, forget hell, and don't be afraid to be yourself and think your own thoughts. Your real friends will still love you whatever you believe.

[taliesin238]

No it does not!! There are many pagan's that are devout christians!! There are also many references in the bible that are very pagan like!! Remarks about the sun and moon!! Remarks about feeling love all around the world! It does anoy me because the Christian church (not christianiity, there is a difference) actually adopted the christmas tree from pagan traditions!! Easter was originally called Ostara which was a time during spring to celebrate new life, This was celebrated with eggs as the egg is a symbol of new life therefore hence the easter egg!! I think the church has a cheek to condemn paganism!!

[Whickerman]

it's generally very different, but as taliesin says, many Pagans also believe in Jesus as one manifestation of the godhead. However, you'll have a problem getting a Christian Priest to accept any other. Many fundamentalist churches teach that Paganism is indeed sinful, but they also say that about all other religions. Look, you need to follow your heart - if that involves prayer as Theland offers then do that. You're at the beginning of a journey, good luck.

[Whickerman]

a useful link to start???

http://www.paganfed.org/